1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to devices for containing bound volumes, and other materials, in such a way that the containment space is both adjustable and fixed. It is specifically a containing device that features an interlocking base mechanism which can be adjusted for width, and holds the contained materials above the plane upon which the device rests.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, various devices have been used to confine items such as books, file folders, recorded music disks and other such items through the use of devices (known hereafter as "traditional bookends") such as heavy weights, a variety of opposing end units or even open sided slip-case boxes. Opposing end unit devices consist of upright panels that form a right angle to a base that may or may not partially extend under the materials being contained and usually extend out and away from the contained materials.
A disadvantage of traditional bookends is that while they may be adjusted in width, the adjustment is not fixed. The support surfaces attempt to retain the set position by means of skid resistant surfaces or the weight of the device, neither of which are truly resistant to change in the space allotted for containment.
Another disadvantage of traditional bookends is that the support surfaces extend out from the materials being contained and cause an unusable space on either side of the contained space as in the case of the traditional "inverted-T" shaped metal bookends or the heavy-weight molded or cast two-piece bookends.
Another disadvantage of traditional bookends is that the materials contained are not resting above the surface upon which they are placed and may be subject to soiling should the surface upon which the contained items rest be contaminated as in the case of a spilled liquid.
Other items have been devised such as holders of napkins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,099, or remote control units, U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,658. Both also claim other uses extending to the applications of holding books and other "office" type materials.
In the case of the Napkin Holder, identical end units show opposing tongues that slide through a channel and interlock by means of opposed-surface transverse ridges and relieved surfaces. The napkins exert an outward lateral force against each support panel which forces the engagement between guide channel and tongue, interlocking the transverse ridges of the slot and transverse ridges of the tongue. Additionally, the tongues extend out from the upright ends when the two identical interlocking slidable end units are in close adjustment. The compression of the contained napkins will also result in difficulty in removing a single item without extracting or disturbing the other napkins.
The Remote Control Holder, with the object of providing an adjustable holder to accomplish a snug fit which prevents the extraction of the remote control device and which allows for the assembly of a plurality of said holders, shows a rack of teeth forming a platform surface. To function, it relies upon a compressible cushion material affixed to the inside facing surface of the upright ends that provides the tension necessary to protect and hold the contained remote control inside of the device and secondly, the compression material in combination with the held remote control device exerts a lateral pressure to the resilient rack teeth to prevent separation of the Remote Control Holder. The effect is a tight joining of the resilient rack teeth angle member shoulders creating a binding pressure that holds the remote control device snugly and the device together. This approach is not suitable for the holding of books, files and other items that may be subject to frequent extraction and replacement. The base legs of the Remote Control Holder are designed so that one leg fits into a recess of the other end unit's leg to form a flat platform between the ends. The non-receptacle leg does not rest on the same plane as the receptacle leg. This invention speaks to the need for a holder that is portable and hand held that will not disassemble while the user manipulates the buttons of the remote control device. Additionally, platform extensions are attached by means of a sliding through-dovetail joint.
The reliance upon complicated secondary locking mechanisms to ensure space retention is a common element of prior art of indexed locking devices.
Both of the above referenced inventions state in their patent documents that the lateral pressure exerted by the materials being contained contribute significantly to the functionality of the devices.
The applications of various interlocking or opposed interlocking surface devices have not been applied specifically to bookend type containment holders, nor in such a way as to use the downward pressure created by the weight of the contained materials and the thickness of the platform in combination with the base indexing patten to create a binding action thus functioning as the means to maintain the fixed space. In the case of the Remote Control Holder and the Napkin Holder, it is the lateral pressure against the device side or upright members which engage the interlocking means of the devices, thus providing for the affixing of space. Neither claim nor show a reliance upon the weight of the materials contained or a continuous underlying platform that rests on a common plane whose thickness in combination with an indexing pattern assists in the functionality of the holders.